tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59455133376553882092024-03-13T07:16:58.627-07:00All About the SaintsWHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?
a blog to lift the smog,- With gems of wisdom and insights into the lives of the saints. Hope you find it helpful!
God bless you always, love from Glory.gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-36800068012801048232023-01-07T08:45:00.002-08:002023-01-07T08:45:21.186-08:00Acceptances <p> Accepting whatever comes or happens AS THE WILL OF GOD</p><p>No matter what it costs Spiritually, Psychologically, or Physically, is the surest and quickest way to a freedom of soul and spirit that surpasses all understanding and explanation!</p><p>(Walter J. Ciszek S.J.)</p>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-39049011181711618082021-04-18T09:36:00.000-07:002021-04-18T09:36:00.636-07:00THE SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY NIGERIA<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4eBzO2ulyoGqyL-HtR5fXEL4dNK4ZgTrqLp_gLZcd824LR3cTS45_M4PBZMgc6HZaY9n5K94YitClqBiF7khHbwCHhT06fvAwVUc1MF_GA73y4-r_f7_kinI8nlSa1buaocw4roqI5Y/s421/Immaculate+Heart+of+Mary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4eBzO2ulyoGqyL-HtR5fXEL4dNK4ZgTrqLp_gLZcd824LR3cTS45_M4PBZMgc6HZaY9n5K94YitClqBiF7khHbwCHhT06fvAwVUc1MF_GA73y4-r_f7_kinI8nlSa1buaocw4roqI5Y/s320/Immaculate+Heart+of+Mary.jpg" /></a></div><b>This post is to let you know about The Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who do great work all over the world especially in Africa. They are in many countries in Africa, they are also in America, England and Ireland.</b><p></p><p><b>Their mission is to bring the Compassion of Christ by serving the people of God - the poor all over the world.</b></p><p><b>They were founded on 7th October 1937 by Archbishop Charles Heerey CSSP an Irish missionary who worked and died in Nigeria.</b></p><p><b>The sisters work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes they do pastoral services and other works of charity. One of the many services is to the disabled. They provide support for physical and mental needs in a secure environment, with basic education to improve the future for the disabled and the way disability is regarded in the community.</b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlwTPB6VcSUctmwVI9yOJkgS-CMzlDqA8Cb3NBKLCLnGChDihgPm7v9D2Hi3G4gK_dHOHxSlGV6ZZhKa15HfPhWZ9kwdAaJB7Qu7Itx-dIlEwbO9VUOCp7bBzWxCh4p1P_NYGcE0A-1Y/s259/bishop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlwTPB6VcSUctmwVI9yOJkgS-CMzlDqA8Cb3NBKLCLnGChDihgPm7v9D2Hi3G4gK_dHOHxSlGV6ZZhKa15HfPhWZ9kwdAaJB7Qu7Itx-dIlEwbO9VUOCp7bBzWxCh4p1P_NYGcE0A-1Y/s0/bishop.jpg" /></a></b></div><b> <br /></b></div><p><b>CHALLENGE </b></p><p><b>It is very common in Africa for people who have a disability to be discriminated against and made to feel invisible, ignored or abandoned especially in poor communities where the family simply don't understand how to support their child in such a condition.</b></p><p><b>SOLUTION</b></p><p><b>They provide humanitarian services in healthcare, physiotherapy, food, music, crafts, and sports to enhance the young people's standard of life in our home and outreach day projects. They also teach parents how to care for a disabled child, to live a healthy well nourished lifestyle so they can pass what they learn on to others in the community.</b></p><p><b><br /> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs7GId5EJ7wKQp2-tZ7HPT7TDXCSsg6JGvlJq0NC0YvuievHtVZqte2j4ddM9W7w6DVEBeU_NCfD67gyomrsB2FMVco3AHA4WEzTZG77OG4e-Qzpbitt9MRxzdtkfz1xCleFdXm-t0NU/s300/Sr+Ijeoma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs7GId5EJ7wKQp2-tZ7HPT7TDXCSsg6JGvlJq0NC0YvuievHtVZqte2j4ddM9W7w6DVEBeU_NCfD67gyomrsB2FMVco3AHA4WEzTZG77OG4e-Qzpbitt9MRxzdtkfz1xCleFdXm-t0NU/s0/Sr+Ijeoma.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1mIHBYxYLeiL_yhYlN0C3WXYW5MzfTqjLlveNYuTUabX6SJxZZOVlVFnq0KEFDZb0bO9BAi4y1TN3eELoHxT4Zp7TkdQe1h_0zc6oGCf2EmveuZeI9gqox_lZwsP4vAD_p2NX1QgQuY/s300/Sr+M+Sebastian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1mIHBYxYLeiL_yhYlN0C3WXYW5MzfTqjLlveNYuTUabX6SJxZZOVlVFnq0KEFDZb0bO9BAi4y1TN3eELoHxT4Zp7TkdQe1h_0zc6oGCf2EmveuZeI9gqox_lZwsP4vAD_p2NX1QgQuY/s0/Sr+M+Sebastian.jpg" /></a></div><p><b>This is just a little snapshot of the many works they do.</b></p><p><b>Their e-mail address is: immaculateheartofmarypdo@gmail.com</b></p><p><b>Link to make donation: http://caringaid.org </b><br /></p><p></p>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-72582912454117407892021-03-31T13:31:00.000-07:002021-03-31T13:31:37.955-07:00The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5lkFT-PYgbgzZX5N1yM4P-PcFxhyphenhyphenOQ1b_JC3YN6RTQC-0IwvfC2hYuchxW0xYh-_wRMBPqj1gDwvLhe9SiJZhieM7HX9706t2ptNDamqKlQTEdTmrSsYs6gDCt6E7j0yl_dd8tsfF-Y/s252/Grief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5lkFT-PYgbgzZX5N1yM4P-PcFxhyphenhyphenOQ1b_JC3YN6RTQC-0IwvfC2hYuchxW0xYh-_wRMBPqj1gDwvLhe9SiJZhieM7HX9706t2ptNDamqKlQTEdTmrSsYs6gDCt6E7j0yl_dd8tsfF-Y/s0/Grief.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <b>Devotion to the sorrows of Mary is a source of great graces because it is so pleasing to our Divine Lord.</b><p></p><p><b>The sufferings of the Mother of God cannot be comprehended; they are inconceivable. Her greatest trials came to her during the week of the bitter Passion and Death of Jesus, when the storm of hatred and fury burst forth with all violence against Him.</b></p><p><b>During Our Saviour's Passion, every glance at her suffering Son forced the sword deeper into Mary's soul. Every sound of his voice brought special bitterness to her heart. Every increase of her love for Him- and it increased with every moment of His Passion- augmented her sorrows.</b></p><p><b>The Church calls Mary the Queen of Martyrs because her martyrdom surpassed that of all others. St Bernardine of Siena says the sorrow of Mary was so great that if it had been equally divided among all men, they would have died immediately. As great as was her love for Jesus- and it was unspeakably great- so great also was the sorrow of Mary at His Passion. An Angel revealed to St. Bridget that, if Our Lord had not miraculously sustained His Mother, she could not possibly have survived her martyrdom.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRYXUf3LjQDz1K67o-_rNgpRXTD02c6lCIS_cNsk6wkWDNHr8xcz_wJw9uBM8dCbl4GQSd6d90ky6T0-93jZqXNx4-3il_PnINwQ6YXbzjNHaqAui8M8pj76e_GXPXgk4o342GE_lVsY/s226/Sorrowful+Mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRYXUf3LjQDz1K67o-_rNgpRXTD02c6lCIS_cNsk6wkWDNHr8xcz_wJw9uBM8dCbl4GQSd6d90ky6T0-93jZqXNx4-3il_PnINwQ6YXbzjNHaqAui8M8pj76e_GXPXgk4o342GE_lVsY/s0/Sorrowful+Mother.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRg39Af3DjLyc0fLtxrV8jQwVj3qCx0BfDa2UZ2a8tXQI6Zz0TcXQ-1tMMZ8eAPdKnpPBlnZpkGsW49M-1_8KeqrX83ThbYhkMqWr8akME2PmCaUgEzwcnHpCCw7LieBbAmKVu-Zn464/s252/Grief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRg39Af3DjLyc0fLtxrV8jQwVj3qCx0BfDa2UZ2a8tXQI6Zz0TcXQ-1tMMZ8eAPdKnpPBlnZpkGsW49M-1_8KeqrX83ThbYhkMqWr8akME2PmCaUgEzwcnHpCCw7LieBbAmKVu-Zn464/s0/Grief.jpg" /></a></div><p>If every day you would spend some time to meditate on the seven sorrows of Mary and you will be greatly rewarded.</p><p><b>Seven Promises to Those Who Meditate on Our Lady's Tears and Dolors</b></p><p><b>1. I will grant peace in their families</b></p><p><b>2. They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries</b></p><p><b>3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work</b></p><p><b>4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.</b></p><p><b>5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.</b></p><p><b>6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death- they will see the face of their mother.</b></p><p><b>7. I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.</b></p><p><b> </b><br /><br /><br /><b><br /></b></p>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-5703905104520412512020-07-26T05:55:00.000-07:002020-07-26T05:55:00.604-07:00WISDOM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXc9SIuhAIHLsD4Snr2wEjQcXiE_outMRStxt5mLCoN-kMeRNtZueQTDHIbiO2OeB8FJZhDEZru3Hs_js03n7vj_qHJbtkEDjVPj6vtAgp73_LY6q9tpTcq1KTrEetu_WN8THJt3AJGg/s1600/king+solomon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXc9SIuhAIHLsD4Snr2wEjQcXiE_outMRStxt5mLCoN-kMeRNtZueQTDHIbiO2OeB8FJZhDEZru3Hs_js03n7vj_qHJbtkEDjVPj6vtAgp73_LY6q9tpTcq1KTrEetu_WN8THJt3AJGg/s1600/king+solomon.jpg" /></a></div>
Solomon's respect for Wisdom<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>And so I prayed and understanding was given me;</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones;</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>compared with her,I held riches as nothing.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>and beside her silver ranks as mud.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>I loved her more than health and beauty,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>preferred her to the light,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>since her radiance never sleeps.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>In her company all good things came to me,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>at her hands riches not to be numbered.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>All these I delighted in, since Wisdom brings them,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>but as yet I did not know she was their mother.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>What I learned without self-interest, I pass on without reserve;</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>I do not intend to hide her riches.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>For she is an inexhaustible treasure to men,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>and those who acquire it win God's friendship,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>commended as they are to Him by the benefits of her teaching.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pvFhveXyu_UYNbj0XGb0FxrAcRFZ3BK0B4yb1X8_5gB1E43xOsNv2RAktxfN_VcgcJTEfH2akAZ7v3ZOdGba9UMswBvu59L2vJiXJSo5gz7Jh0Ii4Q4jPfJ0aCqCtiB-q633ui3uKdo/s1600/The+babies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pvFhveXyu_UYNbj0XGb0FxrAcRFZ3BK0B4yb1X8_5gB1E43xOsNv2RAktxfN_VcgcJTEfH2akAZ7v3ZOdGba9UMswBvu59L2vJiXJSo5gz7Jh0Ii4Q4jPfJ0aCqCtiB-q633ui3uKdo/s1600/The+babies.jpg" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b> </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkqv-o4o_Np5NAyxT1qyme7i_0UHND2XWIw-fKDi0wO9OjVjzh-1TI2-kCK73LVBpMP1jruM-_lhtBq6oP4XmSDJroWdRHn7rv5mCcww5A7gfLGc6I9KHcHgH2bvG_gwLAwqJhNH6hfY/s1600/Advise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkqv-o4o_Np5NAyxT1qyme7i_0UHND2XWIw-fKDi0wO9OjVjzh-1TI2-kCK73LVBpMP1jruM-_lhtBq6oP4XmSDJroWdRHn7rv5mCcww5A7gfLGc6I9KHcHgH2bvG_gwLAwqJhNH6hfY/s1600/Advise.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b> </b></span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-44352568934001352552020-04-26T13:58:00.000-07:002020-04-26T13:58:01.729-07:00THE POWER OF PSALM 91<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Psalm 91</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Whoever goes to the Lord for safety whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in You I trust".</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with his wings; You will be safe in his care; His faithfulness will protect you. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all round you, but you will not be harmed. You will look and see how the wicked are punished.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>You have made the Lord your defender, the most high your protector, and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>You will trample down lions and snakes.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>God says "I will save those who love me and will protect those who know me as Lord.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>When they call to me, I will answer them; When they are in trouble, I will be with them.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>I will rescue them and honour them.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>I will reward them with long life; I will save them." </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">During World War 1, the commander of the 91st Infantry Brigade of the U.S. Expeditionary Army was a devout Christian. He assembled his men and gave each of them a little card on which was printed the 91st Psalm - the same number as their Brigade. They agreed to recite Psalm 91 daily.</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">After they commenced to pray the Psalm, the 91st Brigade was engaged in 3 of the bloodiest battles in World War 1 - Chateau Thierry, Belle Wood, and the Argonne. Other U.S. units who fought in the same battles had up to 90% casualities but the 91st Brigade did not suffer a single combat related casualty.</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue;"><span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>During World War 2 actor James Stewart was in the Army Air Corps. His father gave him a letter to read en route with Psalm 91 attached.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">" My Dear Jim-Boy,</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Soon after you read this letter you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger. Jim, I'm banking on the enclosed copy of Psalm 91. The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise of the words of Psalm 91. I'm staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience. I can say no more. I only continue to pray. Goodbye my dear. God continue to bless and keep you. I love you more than I can tell you, Dad."</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;">James Stewart returned home a decorated war hero unharmed even though his record included 20 combat missions. During the height of battle, Stewart said he learned to lean on his tattered copy of Psalm 91.</span></span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span> </span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span></span></span> </span></span> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span> </b></span></span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-54292433410750629892020-04-01T08:25:00.000-07:002020-04-01T08:25:12.594-07:00CHARITY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>God is joined to Charity, and Charity is truly, and more intimately and really The spirit of His Spirit even more than is a married couple who love each other deeply. God Himself is Charity. Charity is but the most manifest and illustrative aspect of God. Of all His attributes Charity is the sovereign and original one, because all the other attributes of God originate from Charity.</b><br />
<b>What is Power but active Charity? What is Wisdom but teaching Charity? What is Mercy but forgiving Charity? What is Justice but ruling Charity?</b><br />
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<b> Now can you believe that he, who has no Charity, has God? No, he has not. Can you imagine that he may accept God, but not Charity?</b><br />
<b>There is one Charity only and it embraces Creator and creatures and it is not possible to have only one half of it: that for the Creator, without having also the other half: that for our neighbour.</b><br />
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<b> God is in His creatures. He is in them with His indelible sign, with His rights of Father, Spouse and King. The soul is His throne, the body His temple. Now he who does not love one of his brothers and despises him, holds in contempt, grieves and underestimates the Landlord of his brothers house, the King, the Father, the Spouse of his brother, and it is natural that this great Being who is "Everything" and who is present in a brother, in all brothers, should consider as given to Him the offence given to a lesser being, to a part created by "Everything" that is to a single man.</b><br />
<b>That is why I taught you the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, that is why I taught you not to scandalise your brothers, that is why I taught you not to judge, not to have contempt or to reject your brothers, whether they are good or not good, faithful or Gentiles, friends or enemies, rich or poor.</b><br />
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<span style="color: red;">(taken from Poem of the Man-God)</span><b> </b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: red;"><span>9 </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: red;"><span> </span></span> </b>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-14642051395256859202020-02-03T06:22:00.000-08:002020-02-03T06:22:01.999-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> St Blaise (A.D.316)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>St Blaise was born of rich and noble parents, receiving a christian education and being made a bishop while still quite young, in Sebastea, Armenia.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We have very little facts about this great saint.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>During the persecution of Licinius, he withdrew by divine direction to a cave in the mountains which was frequented only by wild beasts. These he healed when they were sick or wounded, and they used to come around him to receive his blessing. Hunters, who had been sent to secure animals for the amphitheatre, found the saint surrounded by the beasts, and, though greatly amazed, they seized him and took him to Argricolaus governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On their way they met a poor woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf; at the command of St Blaise, the wolf restored the pig unhurt. The incident is worth mentioning because of a ceremony which arose in connection with it. On another occasion a woman brought to him a little boy who was at the point of death owing to a fishbone in his throat, and the saint healed him.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>On account of this and other similar cures St Blaise has been invoked during many centuries past for all kinds of throat trouble.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The governor ordered him to be scourged and deprived of food, but the woman whose pig had been restored brought provisions to him and also candles to dispel the darkness of his gloomy prison. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Then Licinius tortured him by tearing his flesh with iron combs, and afterwards had him beheaded.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Through his intercession many have been cured of throat diseases or protected from them.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">LORD, HEAR YOUR PEOPLE THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF ST BLAISE. HELP US TO ENJOY PEACE IN THIS LIFE AND FIND A LASTING REFUGE IN THE NEXT. AMEN</span> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-54793335953110682912019-12-27T07:02:00.002-08:002019-12-27T07:04:56.392-08:00GOD's LOVE<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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style="height: 194px; margin-top: 2px; width: 259px;" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IN<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LOVE</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 200%;">To come to know<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirst<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Heart of Jesus, for me personally is the single greatest gift God can give.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It gives Supreme meaning to even the smallest details of my life, for it
reveals a God who is Fully in Love with me.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Lord’s Thirst to love me and be loved by me is something Real and
Alive and Powerful</span></b></div>
gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-87242300473943215942019-09-16T06:44:00.000-07:002019-09-16T18:24:51.703-07:00BEEN A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In fact, the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus20), deal directly with our being faithful to God. "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...." These are the words given directly from God to Moses for all people, for all time.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Since God assumes a covenant relationship with His people, He is declaring that He will not tolerate unfaithfulness and competition with anything else. An idol can be in the form of anything that you might place in a higher priority over God. This includes false images of worship or placing anything in our lives that has preeminence over God. God is very faithful to all of us, and it is by His faithfulness that we can continue living as His sons and daughters in this world. For our part, we should strive to be as faithful as we can be to Him who loves us. And although it is admittedly hard to do, given our weaknesses and limitations not to mention our hard-headedness and stubbornness at times, we can still be faithful to Him in our own little ways.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">For many Christians today Christianity has to do with an emotional experience, which has its roots in self-love. There is no willingness to agree with God or to conform to His way of life, thus Christianity is reduced to an intellectual experience without any transformation of character, for there is no willingness to be obedient to Jesus. More and more many of those who profess to be Christians display attributes very much different from that of the Christ they profess to follow, obviously not caring that they "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you of of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9)</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: red;">We are told that only "Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. I pray today that whosoever reading this will learn from it and become more faithful to God in all his or her ways Amen</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;">(This post was written by my good friend Donald Johnson Thanks so much Donald, God bless you Glory) </span></span></b>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-39971259339388954752019-09-15T10:42:00.000-07:002019-09-15T10:42:56.412-07:00ST AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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St Augustine was born on November 13th, 354, in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in Africa. Despite the good example of his mother St Monica, became a Manichean and fathered an illegitimate child. He was converted at the age of thirty-three and baptised by St Ambrose in Milan. St Augustine became Bishop of Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) and wrote and preached energetically in defence of the faith, making him one of the most influential Doctors of the Church. His principles concerning the religious life continue to inspire Augustinian canons, friars and nuns. St Augustine died on August 28th 430.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">QUOTES FROM CONFESSIONS OF ST AUGUSTINE: CONFESSIONS IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK, CONSISTING OF 13 BOOKS, BY AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. IT WAS WRITTEN IN LATIN BETWEEN AD 397 AND 400</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;">" O Lord, ...have mercy upon me according to thy great mercy, for thy name's sake. And do not, on any account whatever, abandon what thou hast begun in me. Go on, rather, to complete what is yet imperfect in me."</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"> Book 10 Chapter 4</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>" I still thought that it is not we who sin but some other nature that sins within us. It flattered my pride to think that I incurred no guilt and, when I did wrong, not to confess it...I preferred to excuse myself and blame this unknown thing which was in me but was not part of me. The truth, of course, was that it was all my own self, and my own impiety had divided me against myself. My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner."</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">" In my public life I was striving after the emptiness of popular fame, going so far as to seek theatrical applause, entering poetic contests, striving for the straw garlands and the vanity of theatricals and intemperate desires" (book 4, chapter 1)</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">In Greek the love of wisdom is called "philosophy", and it was with this love that that book inflamed me. There are some who seduce through philosophy, under a great, alluring, and honorable name, using it to color and adorn their own errors. And almost all who did this, in Cicero's own time and earlier, are censored and pointed out in his book" (book 3 Chapter 4)</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">I did not keep the moderate way of the love of mind to mind - the bright path of friendship. (book 2 chapter 2)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">I had entreated chastity of thee and had prayed,"Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet". For I was afraid lest thou shouldst hear me too soon, and too soon cure me of my disease of lust which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished." (book 8 Chapter 7,p.139) </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span> </span></b><br />
<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-68203554573920865062019-07-18T16:10:00.000-07:002019-07-18T16:10:20.621-07:00VENERABLE CARLO ACUTIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red;"><b>" Jesus is my great friend and the Eucharist my highway to Heaven"</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo Acutis was born in London on 3rd May 1991. His parents, Andrea and Antonia, were there on business. They returned home in September to Milan, Italy. Carlo's mother often heard that her son was special from the parish priest, teachers, classmates, and even the porter of their building on Via Ariosto, where they moved in 1994. the boy's exceptional qualities were due to a very special friendship. Out of nowhere it seemed, as Carlo's family did not regularly attend church, Carlo developed a great friendship with Jesus.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo's mother, Antonia Acutis, recalls how little Carlo could not pass in front of a church without asking to go in and greet Jesus. She was surprised to discover her son reading saints' biographies and the Bible, and even more surprised when her son began asking questions of such depth and profundity that she was unable to answer: "I was perplexed by his devotion. He was so small and so sure. I understood that it was his thing, but that he was also calling me. So I began my journey of rapprochement with faith. I followed him".</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> At the age of seven and quite on his own, Carlo asked to receive First Holy Communion. After questioning the precocious boy, the priest attested to his maturity and level of Christian formation. However, he made a single recommendation: the celebration should take place in a place free from distractions. One the 16th June 1998 Carlo received the Eucharist in the silence of the Bernaga Monastery, near Lecco. "As a little boy, especially after his First Communion, he never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by a moment of Eucharistic Adoration," recalls Carlo's mother.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>UNITED TO THE EUCHARIST FROM A YOUNG AGE</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo first attended school with the Marcelline Sisters. He received his secondary education at the hands of the Jesuits. Ever since boyhood and especially following that First Communion, Carlo's life revolved around a fixed point: daily Mass. "The Eucharist " he said, "is my highway to Heaven". He also frequently received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As a adolescent, he added to his spiritual schedule a daily Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. He spoke thus of Eucharistic Adoration: "If we get in front of the sun, we get sun-tans....but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints".</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>SCHOOLDAYS</b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo was convinced that he would not grow old. "I will die young", he often repeated. This is perhaps why he filled his days with such a whirlwind of activity, teaching the boys from the Catechism, feeding the poor at the Caritas Cafeteria, and spending time with the children of the Oratory. While still achieving excellent grades in high school and between all his charity work, Carlo still found time to play the saxophone, play football and design computer programmes.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">He was naturally inclined towards computer science and was even considered brilliant by practicing engineers who encountered his technical intuition and savvy. Carlo's interests ranged from computer programming to editing films, from creating websites to writing periodicals.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">His classmates looked to him, not only for advice or help, but also because of his way of putting people at ease. Carlo seemed to have a way with people from all backgrounds.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo's friendly face was a common sight in his neighbourhood. He befriended everybody, included the gatekeepers, janitors, and people that worked in his neighbourhood. These workers were often non-Europeans with Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Carlo told everybody about his love for Christ, and people couldn't help but listen and share in his joy. One such foreign worker was Rajesh, a Hindu. A friendship developed between Rajesh and Carlo. The friendship was of such a profound nature that Rajesh converted to Catholicism. This is what Rajesh had to say about his friend, Carlo; "He told me that I would have been happier if I had approached Jesus. I was baptized Christian because it was he who so affected me with his profound faith, his charity, and his purity. I have always considered it out of the ordinary because a boy so young and so hansome normally prefers to have a different life".</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo was careful never to waste money. He was known to donate sleeping bags to the homeless on his way to mass. He also donated to the Capuchins for the service of meals to the homeless.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo never hid what made him most happy, he was always inviting his friends to go with him to Mass. It was his great source of joy when his friends became reconciled to God. Carlo wrote the following in his journal: "Sadness is the gaze turned towards oneself, happiness is the gaze turned towards God. Conversion is nothing but moving the gaze from the bottom to the top. A simple movement of the eyes is enough."</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><b> </b></span> </span><b> </b></span> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE AND DEVOTIONS</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Holiness was his true goal, but not for him alone. To all, he pointed to his route to sainthood: daily Mass, Communion, Rosary, Scripture, Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Confession, and the willingness to give up something for others. Carlo also regularly offered up his sacrifices and prayed for the reparation for sins and offenses committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he felt alive and throbbing in the Consecrated Host. Carlo often prayed for the Pope, then John Paul 11, with a degree of passion that astonished his parish priest. Those who met the young man were left with an indelible impression that Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the heart of man. Carlo had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. He was fascinated by the apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima, and often spoke about Saint Bernadette Soubirous and the little Shepherds of Fatima. Our Lady's messages of conversion, penance, and prayer - all this was lived concretely in his daily life. In a world hardened against the great truths of the Faith, Carlo shook consciences and invited us to look towards Heaven. In the family, in the school, in the midst of society, Carlo was a witness to eternity. To quote Carlo: "Our aim has to be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven".</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>MISSIONARY OF NEW MEDIA</b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo created several notable websites, one dedicated to young saints. He had a keen interest in those who were able to achieve holiness quickly. His efforts were that of a true missionary: to reach as many people as possible and to introduce them to the beauty and joy of friendship with Jesus. Carlo took as his model St Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, who committed himself to bring the Gospel to every corner of the globe even to the point of martyrdom. He was inspired by the works of fellow Italian Blessed James Alberione, who was himself also inspired by the Apostle Paul. Blessed James was the Founder of the Paulines and the Daughters of St. Paul. Both Blessed James and the religious societies he founded are recognized for putting new forms of media at the service of the Gospel. </span><b> </b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b> EXHIBITION - WEBSITE ON EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES</b></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo stated; "All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies". To move towards this destination and not "die as photocopies," he said that our compass has to be the word of God. The Eucharist was his true north. He put the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the centre of his life and he called it, "my highway to Heaven." In 2002, when he was eleven, he accompanied his parents to listen to a priest friend speak at a presentation of the Little Eucharistic Catechism. He was fascinated by what he learned and had an idea, he would create an exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles. He said "They must be able to see." Carlo wanted people to understand that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist by showing the moments throughout history when the Eucharist visibly became flesh and blood. This was the confluence of all of Carlo's great loves: He wanted people to encounter the Eucharist and be reconciled to God renewing the Miracle of the True Presence. Carlo wanted to show people that the Eucharist truly is his great friend Jesus. He immediately set to work by documenting the Eucharistic Miracles. He began dragging his parents across Europe to gather photographs of the miracles. After two and a half years, the exhibition was ready. He had catalogued all the Eucharistic Miracles. Immediately, dioceses across the world began requesting the exhibit(see www.miracolieucaristici.org)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo had reached over 136 Eucharistic Miracles that occurred over the centuries in different countries around the world and have been acknowledged by the Church and collected them into a virtual museum. He created not only a website to house this virtual museum, but panel presentations , as well, that have travelled around the world. Carlo's exhibit soon crisscrossed the globe. It would reach all the places that he would never get to visit in life.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>ILLNESS AND DEATH</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">In early October 2006, Carlo fell ill and was brought to the hospital of San Gerardo in Monza, Italy, a hospital founded by Saint Gerald Majella himself. Carlo soon received his diagnosis. Crossing the threshold of the hospital, Carlo said to his mother:"From here I do not go out anymore!" The diagnosis was acute promyelocytic leukaemia. A few days earlier, Carlo told his parents "I offer what I will have to suffer to the Lord for the Pope and for the Church, to skip Purgatory and go straight to Heaven." Shortly after receiving his diagnosis, Carlo died on 12th October 2006. The doctor treating him asked him if he was suffering much pain and he responded: "There are people who suffer much more than me." He was buried in Assisi in accordance with his wishes. He died with a radiant smile on his face and offering his life for the Pope and for the Church. He said "I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even a minute of it on anything unpleasing to God."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXNx4u7rUE3ckXRWJ10N_C8tKZbEpOHW6eV8jn10Id10eplIrl1VJOpnZh2iTTmiqQuRHDPrRIg7bXSTTlzU5qxxRqlG8x3Q003GDIKFGP1QpzN6T695ZkMznZ2qDTmf3zHNubU1qRss/s1600/holy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXNx4u7rUE3ckXRWJ10N_C8tKZbEpOHW6eV8jn10Id10eplIrl1VJOpnZh2iTTmiqQuRHDPrRIg7bXSTTlzU5qxxRqlG8x3Q003GDIKFGP1QpzN6T695ZkMznZ2qDTmf3zHNubU1qRss/s1600/holy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>THE IMPACT OF A LIFE</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">He was buried in Assisi, the city of St Francis. On the day of his funeral, t</span></span>he Church and the Churchyard were flooded with his many friends and admirers. His mother describes the scene: "I have never seen people like this before." People filled the grieving mother's ears with stories about what Carlo had done, stories she had never heard.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Having already reached so many through his international exhibit and internet ministry, Carlo's death had an immediate impact. Thousands of letters and emails reached the family. Carlo's exhibit of Eucharistic Miracles has reached the ends of the earth, presented in Russia, Latin America, and even China. In the United States, thanks to the help of the Knights of Columbus, it has been hosted by thousands of parishes and hundreds of universities.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">What was so special about Carlo? He welcomed and loved Jesus as a friend, while still living deeply immersed in the world of today, mastering computer programming, film editing, and website creation by the age of 15. Despite being immersed in media so fraught with temptation, the Gospel thrived at his touch and to such an extent that he will probably become the Patron of the Internet.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">A multitude of people took part in his funeral. Whoever knew him acknowledged that they met a special teenager. Self-confident, lively, passionate about sports and a computing expert, Carlo had an ability to make himself close to those who suffer, friends or acquaintances, in each he saw the face of the One who is the centre of his affection. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Carlo remains an inspiration, especially to teenagers who struggle to be both holy and 'normal', while remaining unique as an individual.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaNcRV1F5gy_rxBYvILcHl0zBGbvjWIMA00Tr6lz0jrScyXK9A_ch2xi2ZA3BcCLnnNaT8grbZXbs5MoHe-sEeAd8teq68E4GSqno-zr0EzmRvIn1ul6ySLdcMublNFetgqAXKUD9cE0/s1600/hikeom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaNcRV1F5gy_rxBYvILcHl0zBGbvjWIMA00Tr6lz0jrScyXK9A_ch2xi2ZA3BcCLnnNaT8grbZXbs5MoHe-sEeAd8teq68E4GSqno-zr0EzmRvIn1ul6ySLdcMublNFetgqAXKUD9cE0/s1600/hikeom.jpg" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><b> </b></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> (Taken from The Way of The Immaculate Heart Newsletter June 2019) </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><b> </b></span> </span><b> </b></span> </span><b> </b></span><br />
gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-72339521590611524282018-09-26T16:23:00.001-07:002018-09-26T16:23:40.069-07:00TO LIVE WELL TO LOVE GOD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDmht5LfeKO2vYsmpF52gvhXUOzTw-tFYMvZYqUlhl1Ybdnqiy-MKYhUABi3JH426eWHH2gOOCAifroCHO8fue0VMkVbf2Fr59b4539_zij_kCjfDVrCaPqcgQofhxRQx-_36dAwgKtE/s1600/Eagle.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDmht5LfeKO2vYsmpF52gvhXUOzTw-tFYMvZYqUlhl1Ybdnqiy-MKYhUABi3JH426eWHH2gOOCAifroCHO8fue0VMkVbf2Fr59b4539_zij_kCjfDVrCaPqcgQofhxRQx-_36dAwgKtE/s1600/Eagle.bmp" /></a></div>
"In order always to live well, we must store up deeply in our minds certain general maxims about eternal life: Everything in this life, whether it be joy or sorrow, passes away but in eternity nothing passes away. What good is all the greatness of this world at the hour of death?<br />
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All that comes from God, whether it be adverse or prosperous, all is good and is for our welfare. We must leave all to gain all. There is no peace to be found without God. To love God and save one's soul is the one thing necessary. We need be afraid of nothing but sin.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1DOz0nWUxmNXY3CWbsvLg6HSyTatrQ4-2bePWmkbOrzUVndkgBA898t1V004X_u3u5chUoIPZ0Ug3zaMwLI03GdCF4amD0CzfyV3BTnj4gC4M1B14D7rAb-X5REc9OddQLOHMNINPvU/s1600/chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1DOz0nWUxmNXY3CWbsvLg6HSyTatrQ4-2bePWmkbOrzUVndkgBA898t1V004X_u3u5chUoIPZ0Ug3zaMwLI03GdCF4amD0CzfyV3BTnj4gC4M1B14D7rAb-X5REc9OddQLOHMNINPvU/s200/chair.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>If God is lost, all is lost. He who desires nothing in this world is master of the whole world. He who prays is saved, and he who does not pray is lost"</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"> St Alphonsus Liguori </span> </b></span> <br />
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gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-36515939232634230702018-07-22T06:59:00.000-07:002018-07-22T06:59:10.219-07:00GO INTO THE SILENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnct-9HfqOvGlIoSzpGS8ptXHPWRLyX9nzj1VMIAUyu7-Tt1KC0Ica8qZACBnmwlWLRh9t-RdNJ00ms6Y17paG1HyizUV4WZjpUOu4Pf9-BFKyu2eXvJYRKWN_i7n-b3qshDJLitIHBYM/s1600/flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnct-9HfqOvGlIoSzpGS8ptXHPWRLyX9nzj1VMIAUyu7-Tt1KC0Ica8qZACBnmwlWLRh9t-RdNJ00ms6Y17paG1HyizUV4WZjpUOu4Pf9-BFKyu2eXvJYRKWN_i7n-b3qshDJLitIHBYM/s1600/flower.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>MARK : 6:30-34</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">Have you ever heard a gentle voice, from somewhere deep inside of you, reminding, encouraging, even urging you with the following words: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest"{v.31NIV]? Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life because in prayer we commune with God. The more we pray, the more we want to pray; the less we pray, the less we want to pray. With prayer we flourish; without prayer we wilt. With prayer we grow in our relationship with God; without prayer God becomes ever more distant and remote.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"> Something terrible has happened to our understanding of living the Christian faith, something truly alarming and frightening, and if we don't do something to stop it, our faith is under threat. What is this terrible, alarming and frightening thing that has happened? It is this: we have replaced prayer with action, contemplation with the apostolic; we value doing over being, and social action over the interior life. We have lost sight that God works from the inner life to the exterior life, and not the other way around. In fact, there is a new undercurrent which clings to the notion that the Christian faith is purely and simply about helping and serving others. Of course, it is self-evident that the Christian life involves love and service but a love and service which is rooted in prayer, firmly established first and foremost in a living, breathing relationship with God.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"> Christians are not the only ones who undertake works of love and charity- often people of no faith are outstanding and wonderful humanitarians. The Christian life cannot be reduced to social action.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">We need to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">Let us reflect on the following words from St Teresa of Calcutta:</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">" I know I would not be able to work one week if it were not for that continual force coming from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament[during my holy hour of Adoration] to be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the Greatest Gift of Love- the tender love of our Father in Heaven".</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">[ Taken from Bible alive Sunday 22nd July 2018]</span> </span> </span> </b></span><br />
gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-38280527553338230942018-03-31T05:06:00.001-07:002018-03-31T05:06:45.436-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>HOLY SATURDAY</b><br />
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Death is a fact of life. A fact, however, that we avoid, don't talk about and fear. George Bernard Shaw rightly quipped that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes - and even in death there are taxes!<br />
Death is an important topic because our faith is rooted in Jesus rising from the dead. Faith, then, doesn't avoid death, but rather confronts it head on. Jesus not only confronted death: He conquered it.<br />
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Jesus is the Author of Life and, by dying on the cross, he destroyed the one who has the power of death, the devil. Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades so that at His Name every knee should bow in heaven and earth and under the earth.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>"Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began....He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, He has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve...."I am your God, who for your sake have become your son....I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."(from Ancient Homily on Holy Saturday)</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b> </b></span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-66264269709822188332018-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:002018-01-25T08:57:10.475-08:00THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Acts of the Apostles 22:3-16"<br />
Paul said to the people, "I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted This way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.<br />
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I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me". The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: "What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered "Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do". The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.<br />
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"Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me, he stood beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight". Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see that Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name."<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Paul's conversion is a testament to God's grace, and his life is a testament of one who preached, taught, proclaimed, witnessed to and lived by God's grace. For him the Christian faith wasn't about what he did for God but what God had done for him in Jesus Christ. Today we rejoice in our conversion, but seek on-going conversion through prayer, reading Scripture and adoring Christ in the Eucharist.</b></span><br />
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<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-29855267036578077632017-12-21T07:03:00.000-08:002017-12-21T07:05:46.538-08:00THE ANNUNCIATION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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[Luke1:26-38]<br />
Mary was at the foot of Jesus' crib in the days following his birth and at the foot of his cross when he died. She is the new Eve and our Mother in faith. Mary's encounter with the archangel Gabriel is a heaven-meets-earth moment, retold very powerfully by Luke, the master storyteller.<br />
Of course, we now know that Mary was closer to heaven than any other creature, because she had been conceived without original sin. This singular and privileged grace doesn't, however, detract from the sheer power and drama of the appearance of the archangel. We don't know any background details about the moment the angel appeared, but what we do know is that Mary said "Yes" to God's plan of salvation, and that her consent - her agreement and acceptance - was crucial in ensuring that God's plan of salvation not only got underway, but was fulfilled. It was as if, for a moment in time, our eternal salvation was on a knife edge - for God does not coerce or force us.<br />
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Mary's consent, her warm embrace of God's will, meant that in the fullness of time God sent his Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law. Mary's "Yes" meant that through the gift of baptism the new birth we could receive our full rights as children of God - for that is what we are! No wonder that, as we shall learn, John the Baptist leapt with joy in the womb. No wonder the angelic host sang, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests" {Luke 2:14 NIV], for it first rested on Mary, the virgin from Nazareth.<br />
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Mary is for all time the perfect model of faith. St Ambrose encourages us with this reflection: "You see that Mary did not doubt but believed and therefore obtained the fruit of faith. "Blessed are you who have believed." But you also are blessed who have heard and believed. For a soul that has believed has both conceived and bears the Word of God and declares his works. Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, so that it magnifies the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each of you, so that it rejoices in God".<br />
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<span style="background-color: red;"></span><span style="color: red;">Lord, may I conceive your word through faith and give birth to Christ through my witness, love and service.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">[Taken from Bible alive 20th December 2017] </span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-35681561805690278902017-11-16T09:58:00.003-08:002017-11-16T10:55:14.122-08:00TRUST AND JESUS CRUCIFIED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is one abundant source of trust, unhappily too often forgotten by all too many fervent souls. It is the Source which sprang from the barren rock of Golgotha at the feet of Jesus Crucified. It is a fertile Source that never runs dry, and that is known only to privileged souls. All too many men, wistful of perfection too often forget it: in their spiritual barrenness, in the night of the soul, they forget to go to Calvary, there to contemplate Jesus and to comfort themselves at this refreshing Source of perfect trust....<br />
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The love of the Divine Crucified, the love of Christ who died for the sake of me, his unworthy and insignificant creature- who died for me to win my stubborn heart and my wavering love, though it be perceived only in part, is at once and at first sight recognised as a love that has never been surpassed......<br />
He died to make all my affections his and to make me holy - Jesus holds out to me his pierced hand crying aloud to me this truth: "Never my poor little creature, will you love Me as I love you. Behold! that I may win your heart, I die upon the cross. For your heart My own heart hungers and thirsts. I yearn to possess your love utterly and entirely". Thus he may win me for himself. Jesus is there upon the cross not merely to save my soul does he hang there. If that were all a single word, a single thought of his would have availed There he hangs, that he may win my heart, that he may drive all other affection from it, that in my soul he may arouse a love that is alive zealous, disinterested and self-forgetful a love that is pure love. To conclude : there He hangs upon the cross that he may make a Saint of me.....<br />
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Jesus thirsts for my perfect union,....to inspire in me the love which is capable even of that ultimate holiness, the noble folly of the cross: his desire for this exceeds, infinitely exceeds, my own.....This Jesus who died for me could not let slip a single moment without busying himself with me, without seeking to win my heart......<br />
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I am infinite Love, I am Love's infinite, wish for love. To give love is my burning desire. To give Love is my unceasing, my irresistible, my sorrowful need. In utter trust come to me, O you who are yearning for true love! Ask of Me, who am Jesus Crucified, all that you can desire in regard to love, whether it be for yourself or whether it be for others! To give you such love is my unspeakable happiness. Do not withhold this happiness from Me!.....<br />
Your desire to receive true love shall never equal my desire to give it.....<br />
Give me your heart; give me your life. In you and through you I thirst once more to satisfy My vast love for my Father;.... As though you were no more you, as though not you lived but only I in you: Give Me your life.<br />
I who died for love of you Dwell in you!<br />
(Paul De Jaegher S.J.]<br />
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<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-17193941218253740072017-08-03T10:04:00.000-07:002017-08-05T08:32:01.474-07:00THE CURE OF ARS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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St John Mary Vianney was born at Dardilly near Lyons, France on May 8th 1786. The world John was born into was a disturbed one. When he was three years old the French Revolution began and two years later Dardilly found itself saddled with a "constitutional" priest, so the little John and his parents had to assist in secret at the mass of any fugitive loyal priest who came into the neighbourhood. While the terror of the French Revolution was going on, he was learning to be a herd-boy, shepherding the cattle and sheep of Matthew Vianney's farm in the meadows on either side of the little river Planches.<br />
He made his first Communion in secret when he was thirteen, and very shortly after, mass could be offered again in public at Dardilly.<br />
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John wished to become a priest, but he was twenty before he could leave home, having so little formal education his studies were very difficult for him also, during this time John was conscripted into the army. He had to report at the depot in Lyons on 26th October 1809. Two days later he was taken ill and sent to hospital and his draft for the army in Spain left without him. On 5th January 1810 he was ordered to report at Roanne for another draft on the morrow and John having gone into a church to pray, arrived after it had gone. he set out to catch up the draft at Renaison, while near the mountains, a stranger appeared and picking up John's knapsack ordered John to follow, John found himself in a hut near the remote mountain village of "Les Noes".<br />
He now learned that the stranger was a deserter from the army, and that many more were in hiding in the woods and hills around. John saw at once that his situation was compromising, and reported himself to the mayor of the Commune. M. Fayot was an humane official and a sensible man, he pointed out to John that he was already technically a deserter, and that of two evils the lesser was to remain in refuge where he was; and found him a lodging in the house of his own cousin. His hiding place was in a stable under a hay-loft. For fourteen months John was at Les Noes.<br />
Several times he was nearly taken by gendarmes, once feeling the point of a sword between his ribs as it was thrust about in the hay of the loft.<br />
In March 1810 the emperor, on the occasion of his marriage with the Archduchess Marie-Louise, had proclaimed an amnesty for all defaulters. John was able to return to his home a free man.<br />
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John returned to his studies, and after great difficulities, and thanks to the great help of Abbe Balley who coached John privately, and never gave up on him, on 12th August 1815 he was ordained priest and said his first mass the next day.<br />
John was made parish priest of Ars a remote and neglected place of 230 people. Father Vianney set out to visit every household under his care. He worked hard for his little parish and prayed day and night for his parishoners (who were not too interested in God or being saved!)<br />
He waged relentless war against blasphemy, profanity, and obscenity, and was not afraid to utter from the pulpit the words and expressions that offended God, so there should be no mistake as to what he was talking about. For years he struggled for a proper observance of Sunday, not merely to get everybody to mass and vespers, but to abolish work which at times was done on Sunday without a shadow of necessity. For forty one years the good Cure waged a battle for the souls in his care. He eat very little just some dried bread and sometimes boiled potatoes. He spent many hours hearing confessions.<br />
After a while his parishioners flocked to him for confession and felt the joy of God's forgiveness and of conversion. He listened, understood read their minds, prompted repentance and comforted them.<br />
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Ars became famous, people coming from far away to come to confession to the holy Cure of Ars, they came in their thousands. When one pilgrim was asked "but what did you see at Ars?" he replied "I saw God in a man"<br />
St John Vianney worn out by all his work died on 4th August 1859.<br />
On 31st May 1925 John Vianney Cure of Ars was canonized by Pope Pius X1,<br />
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and on 23rd April 1928 the pope declared him patron of the world's parish priests.<br />
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<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-80051959150776144192017-03-04T12:36:00.001-08:002017-03-04T17:23:06.490-08:00THE END OF THE PRESENT WORLD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am reading this book at present, and am so impressed with it that I decided to quote a little bit from it.<br />
St Therese said of this book:<span style="color: red;">"<b>Reading this was one of the greatest graces of my life. I read it at the window of my study, and the impression I received from it is too intimate and too sweet for me to express... All the great truths of religion, the mysteries of eternity, plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth....</b></span><br />
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The author, Father Charles Arminjon, was a highly esteemed preacher in France. His book consists of nine<b> </b>conferences that he preached at the Chambery Cathedral and then published in 1881 under the title Fin du Monde Present et Mysteries de la Vie Future. He delivered these conferences with the express purpose of combating " the fatal error and great plague of our century", which he described as " the absence of the sense of the supernatural, and the profound neglect of the great truths of the future life".<br />
On June 4 and 5 in the year 1887, St Therese copied out an extract from Father Arminjon's seventh conference, on "Eternal Beatitude and the Supernatural Vision of God".<br />
<b>As no mother loved her dearest son, so the Lord loves His predestinate. He is jealous of His dignity and could not permit Himself to be outdone by His creature on the score of fidelity and generosity. Oh! The Lord cannot forget that the saints, when they once lived on earth, paid homage to Him by the total donation of their repose, their happiness and their whole being; that they would have liked to have had an inexhaustible flow of blood in their veins, in order to shed it as a living and imperishable pledge of their faith; that they would have desired a thousand hearts in their breasts, so as to consume them in the unquenchable fires of their love; and to possess a thousand bodies, in order that they might deliver them to martyrdom, like victims unceasingly renewed. And the grateful God cries out: Now my turn! The saints have given me the gift of themselves: can I respond other than by giving myself, without restriction and without measure? If I place in their hands the scepter of creation, if I surround them with the torrents of my light, that is a great deal; it is going beyond their highest hopes and aspirations, but it is not the utmost endeavor of my Heart. I owe them more than Paradise, more than the treasures of my knowledge; I owe them my life, my nature, my eternal and infinite substance. If I bring my servants and friends into my house, if I console them and make them thrill with joy by enfolding them in the embrace of my charity, this satisfies their thirst and their desires super-abundantly, and is more than the perfect repose of their hearts requires; but it is not enough for the gratification of my divine Heart, for the repletion and perfect satisfaction of my Love. I must be the soul of their souls, I must penetrate and imbue them with my divinity, as fire penetrates iron; by showing myself to their spirits, undisguised, unveiled, without the intervention of the senses, I must unite myself to them in an eternal face-to-face, so that my glory illuminates them, exudes and radiates through all the pores of their being, so that, "knowing me as I know them they may become Gods themselves"</b> <br />
<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-91500073613368033692016-12-27T16:57:00.000-08:002016-12-27T16:57:25.398-08:00<br />
<b>THE BEAUTY OF GOD </b><br />
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<b>"It is therefore, nothing strange for the soul to desire to die by beholding the beauty of God in order to enjoy Him for ever. If the soul had but one single glimpse of the majesty and beauty of God, not only would it desire to die once in order to see Him for ever, as it desires now, but would most joyfully undergo a thousand most bitter deaths to see Him even for a moment, and having seen Him would suffer as many deaths again to see Him for another moment"</b><br />
<b> Spiritual Canticle [Stan X1] St John of the Cross</b><br />
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<b> </b>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-67175073972577555242016-10-30T13:25:00.000-07:002016-10-30T13:25:37.958-07:00I THIRST FOR YOU<b>" Behold, I stand at the door and knock.....[Rev. 3,20]</b><br />
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<b>It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be Me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the least whispered invitation that will allow Me to enter.</b><br />
<b>I want you to know that whenever you invite Me, I do come - always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, and bringing the many gifts of My Spirit. I come with My mercy, and My desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension - a love every bit as great as the love I have received from the Father; "As much as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you.....[John 15:9]</b><br />
<b>I come - longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I bring you My light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with My power, that I might carry you and all your burdens; with My grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and My peace I give to your soul.</b><br />
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<b>I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you - even in your wanderings. I know every one of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you - not for what you have or haven't done - I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back.</b><br />
<b>If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power. I know what is in your heart - I know your loneliness and all your hurts - the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations, I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory.</b><br />
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<br /><b> </b><br />
<b><span id="goog_1093482554"></span><span id="goog_1093482555"></span><span style="color: red;">I know especially your need for love - how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures - with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? "Come to Me all you who thirst...[John 7:37]. I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine - to the point of dying on the cross for you.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">[extract on meditation on the spiritual teachings of St Teresa of Calcutta] </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span></span></span> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span></span></span> </span></b>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-49623288637443492052016-07-27T11:10:00.001-07:002016-07-27T11:10:21.953-07:00WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?<br />
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What do you worry about? What makes you anxious? Do you wake in the middle of the night fretful and in dread? Many of us do. Although we believe in God we are subject to the curse of fear, anguish and anxiety. We tend to console ourselves with the thought that we can't help it and it's only human. Indeed, it is only human but help it we can or, to be more precise, God can.<br />
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We don't tend to see worry and anxiety as sinful or wrong. We see it as simply just part and parcel of being human and caring - if we didn't care, we wouldn't worry, goes the refrain. There is some truth in this, of course. Who doesn't worry about their children or grandchildren? Who doesn't succumb to the anxieties of life? God knows we all do, but what if God didn't want us to? What if God wanted us to know a living sense of his presence and offer up all our worry and anxiety to him?<br />
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The truth is, freedom from worry and anxiety is a birthright of our baptism. Sir Winston Churchill said: "When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his death bed that he had had a lot of trouble in life, most of which never happened". The Holy Spirit can help us write a book called How to stop worrying and start living.<br />
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So how do we set ourselves free from the tyranny of worry and start living in the power of the Spirit? The first thing we need to do is study and reflect on the Word of God. Try this verse for a starter: <span style="color: red;">"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" [Phil. 4:6 NIV]. <span style="color: black;">Here we have the first step towards not being weighed down by anxiety: offer it up to the Lord. Have you noticed how this instruction from Paul comes with a promise? <span style="color: red;">"And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" [Phil. 4:7 NIV]</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">Lord, I repent for all of my worry and anxiety and turn to you, laying down all my burdens. By your grace fill me with the peace of Christ which will transcend and surpass my understanding. Amen</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">[ Taken from reading on June 18th 2016 from Bible alive]</span> </span></span></span><br />
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<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-46914739334796459832016-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:002016-07-15T07:00:52.219-07:00ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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St Alphonsus Liguori [1696-1787] Bishop, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer [Redemptorists] and Doctor of the Church. Born into a noble family in the kingdom of Naples, Alphonsus was a child prodigy, receiving his Doctorate in Law from the university of Naples by the age of 16. Practising law by the age of 21, he was one of Naples' leading lawyers. Publicly humiliated in a high profile case, Alphonsus turned his back on the legal profession, and on hearing an interior voice inviting him to leave the world, resolved to follow a religious vocation. Ordained priest in 1726, Alphonsus laboured for six years preaching in missions throughout Naples.<br />
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In 1732 he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, dedicated to the service of the Redeemer and the most abandoned souls, through missions, spiritual exercises and renewals, with houses established in England [1848] and Ireland [1853]<br />
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FROM A TALK BY ST ALPHONSUS<br />
"To Live well, To Love God....... In order always to live well, we must store up deeply in our minds certain general maxims about eternal life: Everything in this life, whether it be joy or sorrow, passes away, but in eternity nothing passes away. What good is all the greatness of this world at the hour of death? All that comes from God, whether it be adverse or prosperous, all is good and is for our own welfare. We must leave all to gain all. There is no peace to be found without God. To love God and save one's soul is the one thing necessary. We need be afraid of nothing but sin. If God is lost, all is lost. He who desires nothing in this world is master of the whole world. He who prays is saved, and he who does not pray is lost."<br />
<br />gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-81181718767015415172016-05-12T10:25:00.002-07:002016-05-12T10:25:41.051-07:00Easter Weekday - Thursday 12th May 2016: reading: Acts 22:30, 23:6-11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Moving house is very high on most people's list of major life stresses, but so too is public speaking. Most of us would run a mile from having to speak before a large audience. Some are gifted in this area and despite suffering from a degree of nerves are able to pull it off. Such people, however, are not the norm: it is more common to be terrified at this prospect.<br />
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Although we tend to think that Paul was one of those who found speaking in public easier than most, the Acts of the Apostles reveals that he, rather like us all, needed God's courage. We know this because on the occasion recorded in today's passage the Spirit encouraged him with the words: "Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome"[v.11]. God knew that for Paul to testify in front of the hostile Sanhedrin needed great courage and conviction. <br />
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God also knows that whenever we are called to witness or testify for our faith, it takes great courage and conviction. In such situations we don't need to rely on our own words but rather the wisdom of the Spirit, although this requires both faith and courage. Blessed Charles de Foucauld said "One of the things we absolutely owe to Our Lord is never to be afraid". But of course, we often are and in realizing this we are humbled. What is it we are afraid of? Of being laughed at, mocked, ridiculed, ostracized or, worse, the cold draft of indifference. <br />
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In one sense we don't need to defend our faith - our faith is big enough to stand up for itself. What we do need to do is to be willing to share the reason for the hope we have. We simply need to share sincerely and with conviction what God means to us and how grateful we are to have him in our life. But there is no getting around the fact that it takes courage to take a stand for what we believe. Nevertheless, something not often realized is that people are crying out to hear the gospel, and they respond when it is presented with goodness and love in our heart.<br />
<span style="color: red;"> " Do not be held back by doubts or fears. Say yes with courage and without reserve.....[St Pope John Paul 11] </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">[Taken from Bible alive] </span>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5945513337655388209.post-61733595478267090882016-01-29T07:04:00.000-08:002016-01-29T07:04:48.838-08:00<b>DO NOT WORRY</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Never look forward to the future with anxiety. "Be not solicitous. Consider the lilies." The present is the will of God. Therefore no over-compunction for past faults, no worrying over the future, no anxious peerings into the darkness. "Watchman, what of the night?" We can safely leave all that in God's hands. They are the hands not only of a clever, but of a wise architect, and all power is in them. In our Lord's last hour, when he seemed utterly forsaken, and gave that cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;">Even then he yet realised that it was by his Father's will that he suffered, and presently, when dying, again cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;">Whatever happens to us through God's will is always the best possible thing for us. God is not only good, very good, supremely good, but the only good. Therefore his will is and must be always the best for us....</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;">So we see that all circumstances, however adverse they seem to be to us, are always favourable to God's plan, always, always, as to the blind man, the best thing for us. His hands are strong and powerful hands and we can confidently rest there. Can we not sometimes see in the hands of a clever artist, or surgeon, the strength and deftness expressive of the mind that directs their action? But with God, they are not only the hands of wisdom, but of love, and it is only when we leave all things in his hands that we find complete serenity; and then a great peace shall come into our souls.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">( Father Bede Jarrett, O.P.)</span></span></span></span><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;"> Father Jarrett, died 1934 was a Dominican priest from England renowned for his preaching, his lectures, and his many books on theology and spirituality.</span> </span> </span> </b>gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674770744837275613noreply@blogger.com0